1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a paper materials sorting apparatus having a sorting device that sorts paper materials, such as, for example valuable papers, by appropriately discriminating them. Further, the invention also relates to a paper materials sorting apparatus that is able to choose an appropriate storage cassette according to the throughput of the paper materials discrimination process.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in the Japanese Patent No. 2798979, a conventional paper materials sorting apparatus for sorting paper materials, such as valuable papers, conveys paper materials by taking out each paper material one by one at, hopefully, a constant interval. The paper materials are conveyed to a note denomination discriminating device. The note denomination discriminating device discriminates the class (hereinafter referred to as note denomination) of the paper materials, the position of the paper materials, the authenticity (authentic or counterfeit note) of the paper materials and the re-circulation conformity (i.e., the possibility of re-circulating) of the paper materials. The conventional paper materials sorting apparatus discriminates the paper materials based on these discrimination options, and distributes the paper materials to suitable processing devices, such as a paper materials paper-strip wrapping device or a storage device. At the time, notes to be wrapped with each paper-strip wrapping device, and notes to be merely stored in each storage cassette are assigned by an operator inputting a key entry in an operation display which controls the paper materials sorting apparatus. The key entry may include a touching a display screen touch-panel or conducting a mouse operation.
If the paper materials which were able to be conveyed to the paper-strip wrapping device are stored in a predetermined number of sheets, for example, 100 sheets. The set of 100 sheets are rounded and wrapped with the paper strip supplied from the paper strip reel carried in the device (see, for example, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent No. 2798979). These rounded and wrapped paper materials of 100 sheets are called a bundle.
However, in the paper materials sorting apparatus disclosed by Japanese Patent No. 2798979, the storage cassette or the paper-strip wrapping device was uniquely assigned by the operator for each note denomination. Therefore, a processing load imbalance occurs between storage cassettes and paper-strip wrapping devices that process high volume note denominations and the storage cassettes and paper-strip wrapping devices that process lower volume note denominations Since, an operator has no way of recognizing the cumulative load of each of the storage and paper-strip wrapping devices for each note denomination, it is difficult to adjust the allotment of note denominations to correct the load imbalance. Such load imbalances affect the life expectancy of different processors and ultimately compromise the overall efficiency of such apparatuses.